“As long as you don’t dillydally and stray from the path, it should be easy to do.”
Hannah looked at the bear prince. “And what happens if we don’t succeed?”
“With each passing day and hour, the animal side in you will grow stronger, Maximilian, and your human side will fade. After one hundred hours, the transformation will be complete, and you shall remain a bear forever.”
The bear prince looked up at the stars.
Hannah bent down closer to the water. “Why did you send me to him, Frieda? You must have had a reason for choosing me in particular. What part do I play?”
“That you will both discover soon enough. Now go. Don’t look back. Then you shall soon have averted the curse.”
“Frieda, what will my children say if I’m not with them in the morning?”
“You may call us whenever you go past water. We shall always keep the magic mirror by our side.”
Hannah looked at the brown bear. She was searching for a glimmer of green in his eyes so that she could see the prince and not the beast. “I will go with you and help you.”
The bear growled, and she caught a glimpse of that green in his dark eyes. He bowed to her and leaned over the side of the fountain one last time. “Can you give us any more clues?”
Frieda chuckled. “Good luck!” And with those words, the image of her face on the water’s surface started to blur.
“We had better get going right away. The sooner we find Mirabelle, the sooner you’ll be with your children.”
“I thought the forest was too dangerous at night.”
“It is by day as well. But as long as we stay on the brick pathway, nothing will happen to us.” The bear tried to walk on his hind paws, but he was having trouble keeping his balance. He was staggering and swaying back and forth.
“Why don’t you walk on all fours?”
“Because I’m a human being and not an animal!”
“All right. At least this way I can keep up with you.” Hannah rose from the fountain and looked witfully at the water one last time, as if the gateway to her beloved children were hidden inside it. But when there was nothing to see, she ran after the big bear and walked beside him. “Is there a way out of the castle garden that leads directly to the forest?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s the way we’re going.”
“Wait, are you saying we’re going to the forest now?” She shook her head vehemently. “Who knows how long it will take? We’ll need provisions—a bag, bandages, and so on. Besides,” she added, laughing, “we should pack you something to wear. If you happen to change back, then?—”
“Brrrmmmmm,” growled the bear. That was probably his way of agreeing.
“Also, it would be wise to pack a flashlight. Oh, wait, they don’t even exist yet. What do you have? Lanterns? Something so that we can see in the dark forest. Speaking of which, what’s in the enchanted forest anyway? Why is it dangerous? Wholives there? Who enchanted it? The same magical creature that cursed your father? Have you been there before?”
“Brm,” he growled again.
“Is the animal in you the reason you can’t give me an intelligent answer? Or are you just a man of few words?”
“I’m trying to decide which of your thousand questions to answer first. Do you always talk so much?”
Hannah shrugged. For years, she had done nothing but listen and console, read and sing to her children. She didn’t know herself why she had been babbling so much since she’d come to the castle. Maybe there was something inside that was finally breaking free.
They marched through the door and back into the castle, where Hannah had fled from the bear hours ago. No candlelight illuminated the long corridor, which appeared a bit menacing in the silence and darkness. Unaware of what she was doing, Hannah walked a little closer beside the powerful bear, who noticed it with some surprise. This woman was not afraid of him.
He thought of all the others, the guests at the ball, who had run from him, screaming—every single night. Even the servants and every last guard had taken off since they believed there was no longer anyone to obey. Where did she get her courage? And trust? Maximilian resolved to protect her. And when it was all over, he would demonstrate his gratitude for her help... But was there any chance that this story would have a happy ending?
15
They set off the following day in the early morning hours. In addition to a lantern, they also brought two bags. One contained provisions for the road, while the other held towels, a knife, and clothes for the prince along with Hannah’s red pouch with her useless cell phone and her keys. They had planned to leave the night before. With fear and anxiety driving them both, they wanted to finish the task as quickly as possible. The bear prince, however, had first wanted to carry his father’s body to the royal chamber. “If this is, in fact, the last time that this day shall run its course, then we cannot leave him lying here. I shall lay him to rest on his cushions until I can see to a proper burial befitting his station. After that, we can be on our way.”
He had asked Hannah if she wouldn’t rather rest for two or three hours before they set out. She looked pale, and he knew that the road ahead was long and hard. She had flatly refused and stressed that she wouldn’t sleep until she was back with her children. But upon returning to the castle kitchen after laying down his father’s body, the bear prince had found her fast asleep on a corner bench. He had brought her some pillows and blankets to make sure she was comfortable, and then he hadlaid himself down by her feet on the kitchen floor, for any of the furnishings would have broken under his weight.
